The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-18

the Bible in the world was burned, the
Saints would have the Book of Doctrine
and Covenants to guide them. They
revered, honored and respected the
| Scriptures.
Elder Stayner here read from the re-
velation given through Joseph Smith in
May, 1881, the Goth paragraph: "And
If ye are purified and cleansed from all
sin, We shall ask whatsoever you will in
the name of Jesus and it shall be DONE"
and proceeded to say that he thought
there could not be a subject more inter-
esting to the Latter-day Saints than
that which will turn the telescope of the
Almighty into their own hearts. If
they will submit to the probing and
searching of the Holy Spirit there can
be nothing more becoming. Jesus said:
IF you should gain the whole world
and lose your own souls, what gain
would it be?" He regretted to say that
the Saints we're absorbed in temporal
affairs and were apt to neglect their
spiritual welfare. When they first
heard the gospel and were
convinced of its truth, did they not
feel a great responsibility resting on
them with that conviction? There is
| but one Later-day Saint to each 10000
of the worlds inhabitants, he stated,
and then asked if the SAINTS realized
that they had been selected to be that
one? Faith is the gift of God. "Are
| you prepared, he inquired, "to receive
the principles that came with your
original faith? Are you prepared to
give an accounting of the responsibility
you receiVed2 If so, then in the words
OF the text, you are prepared to ask for
what you need, in the name of Jesus.
and it shall be done. You will have
shaken off the shackles of sin; covetous-
ness, pride and self-will will have no
place in your hearts; You will be filled
with the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
and you Will work with an eye single
to the glorv of God. If anything is
neglected, there is a lacking of some
thing which you should experience
There will be lack of charity, there
Will be some covetousness and pride
left in your hearts, and there will be a
spirit OF backbiting your neighbOrs.
There will come day, Elder Staynor
continued, when all must meet the
responsibility for their actions, and 1t
stands all in hand to be prepared TO
meet that responsibility. III ye know
nv will and do il not, We shall be beaten
with many Stripes" said the Savior.
With the advantages and blessings of
the gospel before them, the Saints were
encouraged, or should be, to meet the
responsibilities and duties resting upon
them. When the Latter-day Saints
stand at the bar of God they cannot
claim that they have not been properly
taught; they do know His will; thew
cannot plead ignorance. He cited
saying of President D. H. Wells, uttered
several years ago: Repent of your
sins AID you shall be forgiven. If you
want to know whether or not your
sins are forgiven, ask yourselves if they
are repented Of" The door of repent
ance is always open to the Latter day
Saints. And if they have been care
less and have served Mammon in
preference to God, there is a chance
for them to retrace their steps and re-
manded anciently, Thou shalt serve
the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt
thou serve" That command has been
given the Saints in the latter days. The
God of the Saints is the God of the
ancients. The god of Mammon is
sntagonistic to the God of revelation.
He deplored the worshiping of riches
by the Saints, and instructed them not
to bow down to Mammon; two masters
cannot be worshiped; God and Nam
mon can not be served. The things
of this earth must be handled. True; |
but 10 the Latterday Saints, whose |
duty it is to serve God, the things of |
this world, must be held subseryient to
the will OF God: there should be love
for nothing in preference to the things |
of God. There should not be a moment |
of hesitancy in the minds OF the Latter |
day Saints concerning MamRon' and !
and wealth. God has designed that the |
Saints ShpnlH haUn WoSIfh Soma |
might think this peradoxical but In a |
revelation given in January, 1881, it is |
said: And if We seek the riches which |
it is the will of the Father to give unto |
you, We shall be the richest of all people |
for ye shall have the riches of eternity: |
and it must needs be that the riches of !
the earth are mine to give, but beware |
of pride, lest we become as the Nephites |
of old" The abundance of the earth !
would be the Saints, but they must |
use wisdom in its handling. They should |
not be tempted by the snares of the |
world, and they would not have any |
thing to overcome. If the Saints |
enjoyed smooth sailing, they would not !
realize any change that was wrought |
among them. He asserted that the |
Saints were great in their knowledge |
Of the gospel, yet they were capable of |
uCCOuuln6 S1CoOO1S IhOS LOU hO0 , CT !
been rendered pure enough. The gift |
of healing was once possessed by the |
Saints; but God has not forgotten His |
people, and, according to the text read,
if they are pure they shall ask for things !
in the name of Jesus and they will |
receive. He quoted saying of Mala-
chi, in which it was promised that if
the Saints would do the will of God, He
would pour our blessings such as they
would not be able to receive. He Illus
trated the bestowing of blessings by the
Almighty land said that they were all
predicated upon certain obsevances of
laws and commands. The blessings of
God are those which will do the Saints
the most good. While praying for
blessings, the Saints should ask God to
give them influence with their own
families and to preserve them from sin.
Elder Stayner here pathetically re-
ferred to the feelings of parents for
their wayward offspring, and the neces-
sity for prayers for their protection
from sin, wickedness, impurity and
ruin. These are blessings for the Lat
ter-day Saints that are worth praying